Ice creeper



June 26, 1934. c. F. ROCHE 1,964,442

ICE CREEPER Filed Feb. 28, 1933 [M24175 {WW Patented June 26, 1934 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a device adapted to be attached to the bottom of a boot, shoe, rubber, overshoe, or the like for the purpose of preventing slipping when the wearer is walking on icy or other slippery surfaces. The invention may be embodied in a device adapted to rest against the ball of a shoe or the like, or a device adapted to be fitted to the bottom of the heel thereof. In either case, the invention may be embodied in a plate having calks projecting from one face thereof to dig into the ice or other slippery surface, the plate having pointed elements projecting from the opposite face and adapted to pierce the abutting surface of the sole or heel so as to position the plate against edgewise displacement when in use. In order to hold the plate in position, attaching means are provided, such means including elongated elements extending forwardly and rearwardly from diametrically opposite points of the plate, one of such elements being engageable on an end of the shoe, the other element having a tension spring attached thereto with means for anchoring the spring to an anchor plate which is mounted on the arch portion of the shoe sole. Various advantageous features of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the disclosure thereof in the following description and on the drawing of which Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a shoe on which are mounted two embodiments of the invention, one for the sole, the other for the heel.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a front end elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the same, the parts being shown in their compact folding position for storage or shipment.

, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an ordinary shoe to which the invention may be applied. It is to be understood, however, that this is merely by way of illustration and that the invention is adapted and intended for use not only with shoes but also with rubber overshoes, boots, and other forms of foot- ,wear. The shoe illustrated on the drawing includes a sole 10 having an arch portion 11, and a heel 12. According to the invention, an antisl'ip device may be attached to the shoe, this device comprising a plate 15, preferably but not necessarily of circular form, this plate being provided with a suitable number of calks l6 projecting from the lower face thereof. These calks are preferably of conical shape and may be attached to the plate in any suitable manner such as by riveting or spot'welding. While any suitable materials may be employed in the manufacture of the plate and the calks, I prefer to employ steel for these parts, the calks themselves preferably being hardened so as not to be blunted if the user happens to walk on hard surfaces such as concrete sidewalks. The calks may be riveted or welded to the plate before tempering, the plate and calks thereafter being suitably heated and quenched to temper the calks as well known in the art. Projecting upwardly from the upper face of the plate 15 are pointed positioning elements 17. These may be made in any convenient manner as by driving a punch against the lower face of the plate so as to cause the elements 1'7 to project from the upper face thereof. These elements are adapted to enter the sole or heel of a boot sufficiently to prevent edgewise motion of the plate when held against the bottom of the shoe. Extending radially in opposite directions from the plate are a pair of elongated elements and 21, these elements being preferably in the form of fiat strips of spring steel or other suitable material adapted to lie flat against the sole or heel of the shoe. For convenience in carrying or shipping the devices, these elongated elements are preferably hinged to the plate 15 so that they may be folded against the faces of the plate when not in use, making a compact package which can easily be slipped into a coat pocket. The forwardly extending strip 20 is provided with an up-turned end portion 22, this portion having a pair of in-turned ears 23 by which a pronged member 25 is adjustably attached thereto. This pronged member has a central shank 26 with a lip 27 at the lower end thereof to limit the upward adjustment of the member 25 by engagement with the ears 23. The shank 26 is held in frictional engagement with the portion 22 so that the member 25 is frictionally held in any position of adjustment according to the thickness of the shoe sole. At the upper end of the shank 26 is a cross-head 30 from the ends of which a pair of prongs 31 project downwardly so as to engage the upper surface of the sole 10 at the toe of the shoe, the cross-head itself being curved to fit against the toe of the shoe. The strip 20 may be provided with a calk 35 near its forward end, if desired.

The rearwardly extending strip 21 is provided with a tension spring attached to the end thereof, the spring 40 having an eye-piece 41 at the end thereof adapted to engage over the hook 42 on an anchor plate 43 which is permanently secured to the arch of the shoe near the heel. It is intended that the device thus far described can be easily attached to the sole of a shoe or detached therefrom. In attaching the device, the strip 20 is held against the sole of the shoe with a pronged member 25 against the toe of the shoe. This member is then pressed downwardly until the prongs 31 engage the upper surface of the sole 10 at the toe. The eye-member 41 is then pulled and caught over the hook 42. The device is then in place ready for use. To detach the device it is necessary merely to unhook the eyemember 41, this releasing the device from the shoe.

The invention may also be embodied in a device adapted to be mounted on the bottom of the heel of a shoe or the like. Such a device may comprise a plate 50, preferably circular in shape, and provided with a number of calks 16 projecting from one face and anchoring elements 17 projecting from the opposite face. A pair of metal strips 51 and 52 are attached to the edge portion of the plate at diametrically opposite points. These strips are preferably hinged to the plate although the hinged connection is not so important as in the case of the previously described device for the sole of the shoe, since these strips are relatively short. The forwardly extending strip 51 is provided with a spring 55 attached to the end thereof, an eye-member 56 being attached to the end of this spring to engage over a hook 57 on the plate 43. The rearwardly extending strip 52 may have an up-turned end portion 60 at the upper end of which is provided a crossmember 61 having a pair of downwardly projecting prongs 62 adapted to dig into the rear end face of the heel. In order to facilitate the at-'- taching of the plate 50 to the shoe, I may provide a finger piece 65 which, as shown, may convenientiy be mounted on the central portion of the plate so as to project from the lower face thereof. In attaching this device to the heel portion of the shoe, the eye-member 56 is first caught over the hook 5'7. The spring 55 is then elongated by pressure of the thumb or finger of the operator against the plate 65 so as to facilitate the positioning of the prongs 62 against the rear end of the heel. The plate 50 is then released so that the tension of the spring 55 pulls on the prongs 62 and causes them to dig into the rear face of the heel sufiiciently to anchor the device firmly in place. At the same time the positioning elements 1? pierce the bottom face of the heel so as to prevent edgewise displacement of the plate. This structure results in an ice creeper which is light in weight, simple in structure, effective in operation, and quickly and easily attached and detached. By hinging the two strips to the plate, the creeper may be readily folded into compact shape so as to slip easily into the coat pocket of the user. These are particularly important fea"- tures where the user must walk alternately on patches of ice and stretches of hard pavement.

The creeper may, if desired, be adapted to fit shoes of different sizes. To this end the elongated element 20 which extends forwardly from the plate 15 may be made in extensible form. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, this element may consist of two overlapping strips '70 and '71, one of these strips having a series of holes 72 therein, the other strip having corresponding protuberances '73 adapted to project into one or more of the holes '72 when the strips are overlapped. A fiat sleeve 75 is slidably fitted on the element 20. When this sleeve is slipped off the overlapping portions of the strips 70 and '71, the latter may be adjusted to lengthen or shorten the element 20. When the sleeve 75 is slipped back over the overlapping portions of the strips 70 and '71, the protuberances which project into holes '72 are locked therein. Thus the element 20 may be adjusted to a variety of effective lengths.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An anti-slip device for shoes or the like, comprising a plate adapted to bear against the bottom of a shoe, positioning elements projecting from one face of said plate, calks projecting from the opposite face of said plate, and means for holding said plate against the bottom of a shoe, said means including a pair of strips extending radially in opposite directions from said plate, a catch element on one said strip adapted to engage the adjacent end of the shoe, and a tension spring attached to the other said strip, at least one of said strips being hinged to said plate whereby it can be swung back to lie against said plate when not in use. 2. An anti-slip device for a shoe or the like, comprising a plate adapted to abut the ball por tion of a shoe sole, calks on said plate, an elongated metal strip hinged to the edge of said plate and extending forwardly, said strip having an upturned end portion, a pronged member carried by said up-turned portion and vertically adjustable thereon, said member having a pair of downwardly projecting prongs adapted to engage the sole from above, a second metal strip hinged to the edge of said plate opposite to the first strip and extending in the opposite direction, and a tension spring attached to the end of said second s rip.

3. An anti-slip device for shoes or the like, comprising a plate having calks projecting from a face thereof, resilient attaching means extending radially from an edge of said plate, cooperating attaching means extending radially in the opposite direction from said plate, the last said means consisting of a strip of spring metal having an up-turned end portion, in-turned ears on said end portion, and a T-shaped pronged member having a shank portion held in frictional engagement with said 'up=tu'rned portion by said ears for vertical adjustment, said member having a cross-head and a pair of spaced prongs project'- ing downwardly from said cross head. I 4. An anti-slip device for shoes or the like, comprising a plate having calks projecting from one face thereof and pointed positioning elements projecting from the opposite face thereof, a metal strip hinged to the edge of the plate and project'- ing radially therefrom, a tension spring attached to the end of said strip, an eye-member at the end of said spring adapted to engage an anchor hook mounted on the arch of a shoe, a second metal strip hinged to the opposite edge of the plate and projecting therefrom in the opposite direction, said second strip having an upturned end portion with a pair of in turned ears, and a pronged member held in adjustable frictional errgagement with said up-turned portion by said ears, said pronged member having a lip at its lower end to limit upward adjustment by engagement with said ears, and a pair of spaced prongs projecting downwardly to engage a shoe sole from above.

5. An anti-slip device for shoes or the like, comprising a plate adapted to be attached to the shoe with its upper face abutting the ball portion of the shoe sole, pointed elements projecting upwardly from the upper face of the plate, calks projecting downwardly from the lower face of the plate, and means for holding the plate against the bottom of the shoe, said means including a pair of strips extending from said plate in opposite directions, a spring attached to one of said strips, means releasably securing the free end of the spring to the arch portion of the shoe sole, the other said strip being adjustable in length, and an element on the free end of the adjustable strip adapted to hook over the toe portion of the shoe sole.

6. An anti-slip device for shoes or the like, comprising a metal plate having positioning elements projecting from one face thereof and calks projecting from the other face thereof, and means for detachably securing said plate in position against the bottom of a shoe, said means including a pair of spring metal strips extending in opposite directions from said plate and hinged to the edge portion thereof so as to be folded back against the plate when not in use, a hook element at the free end of one said strip, and an extensible spring at the free end of the other said strip, as and for the purpose described.

CHARLES F. ROCHE. 

